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Creating Web Apps in iOS

1 Mar 2012

To create a web app for iOS, you need to convince the user that they are not using Safari. The first is a little snippet to prevent hyperlinks launching Safari. Then there's a whole list of META tags and icons you need to develop. And the most important part is making your site responsive by leveraging the good bits of HTML5 and CSS3.

Lots of ways to make your website/application run as a full screen iOS 'app.' Google the subject and you'll be spoilt for choice.

The biggest problem I had was after I'd finished the basics: created a homepage icon, set the website to be full screen capable (etc). The front page of my web app opened full screen, but as soon as you click on a link (internal or otherwise), mobile Safari is opened for the target page and all the full screen, app-like goodness is gone.

Prevent Mobile Safari Launching

To keep the user inside your iOS 'app' (and not wandering off into the big fat interweb), embed this cheeky little script right at the end of, inside your <body> tag.